Laminated building arch



June 19, 1962 A. J. HILLESHEIM LAMINATED BUILDING ARCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. l, 1960 INVENTOR.

.ALBERT JI H/LLES HEIM June 19, 1962 A. J. HILLESHEIM LAMINATED BUILDING ARCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. l, 1960 United States Patent O 3,039,152 LAMINATED BUILDING ARCH Albert J. Hillesheim, Clements, Minn. Filed Sept. 1, 1960, Sel'. No. 53,460 3 Claims. (Cl. 20-1) My invention relates generally to building construction and more particularly to the formation of supporting arches or bents utilized in the formation of buildings which are free from upright supports interiorly of the side walls thereof.

More particularly my invention relates to improvements in spans of the character above described which are formed from wood.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of a building a-rch or bent which is formed from laminations of wood and which are consequently light in weight, easy to transport and relatively easy to erect.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a building arch or bent of the type immediately above described which is relatively inexpensive to produce and to erect and which is unprecedently strong, rugged and durable.

The above and still further objects of my invention will become apparent from the following detailed specification, appended claims and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

FIG. l is a view in side elevation of my novel bent;

FIG. 2 is a view in top plan of the structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in vertical section taken on the line 3 3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view in section taken on the line 5 5 of FIG. 1 on an enlarged scale;

FIG, 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section taken on the line 6e-6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section taken on the line 7-7 of IFIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary exploded view of the apexes of the truss-forming chords utilized in my novel invention; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary exploded view showing the attachments of the chords to the vertical supporting members.

Referring with greater particularility to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates one each of a pair of identical laterally spaced supporting members. Supporting members 1 are laminated and each comprise core elements, identified in their entireties by the numeral 2, and side plate laminations 3 secured to opposite sides of the core elements by suitable nails, screws, adhesive or the like so as to make the same a rigid unitary structure. The core elements 3, as shown preferably comprise a pair of laterally spaced rails 4, 5 which diverge upwardly from points of engagement 6 at their lower ends, and vertically spaced transversely extended connecting struts 7. The rails 4, 5 and the connecting struts 7 are preferably formed from wooden beam stock such as 2 x 4s and pieces thereof; whereas the side plate laminations 3 are formed from plywood sheets.

It will be noted that the side plate laminations are cut to precisely the outline of the upwardly diverging rails 4, 5. However it will be noted that the side plate lamina.

tions 3 terminate below the upper extremities of the rails 4, 5 and define at their upper edges straight angular seats 8, the planes thereof converging upwardly gently. The extreme upper ends of the rails 4, 5 are cut on an-gles parallel to the plane of the seats Si immediately therebelow, as indicated by the numerals 4a, 5a, for a purpose which will immediately hereinafter become apparent.

ICC

Cooperating with the vertical supporting members 1 in the formation of my novel laminated bent, is a pair of truss-forming chords 9 and 10 each of which comprises a core element 1i1. The core element 11 associated with and forming a part of the chord 9 comprises upper and lower rails 12 and 13 respectively and longitudinally spaced transverse connecting struts 14. On the other hand the core element `11 associated with and forming a part of the chord 10 includes upper and lower longitudinally extended rails `15, 16 respectively and longitudinally spaced transverse connecting struts 17.

Secured to opposite sides of the rails 12, 13 and connecting struts 114 by nails and/or screws and suitable adhesive are side plate laminations 18 likewise formed from plywood sheeting corresponding in thickness generally to the thickness of the side plate laminations 3 associated with the vertical supporting members 1. Secured to opposite sides of the rails 15, 16 and the connecting struts 17 of the core 11 associated with and forming a rigid part of the chord 19, are side plate laminations 19.

The outer ends of the chords 9, 10 are identically formed and, as shown, the under surfaces 12a and 15a respectively of the upper rails 12, 15 abut and snugly rest upon the angular upper end portions 4a, 5a of the underlying rails 4, S. The extreme outer ends 13a, 16a of the lower rails -`1%, 16 on the other hand are in flush engagement against the side of an adjacent rail 5. It will be noted that the opposite end portions of the side plate laminations 18 of the chords 9 and 19 of the chord 10 completely cover the upstanding rails 4, 5 of the vertical supports 1 and rest snugly upon the seats 8 `defined by said vertical supports. This relationship is maintained by nails, screws or the like, suitable adhesive and finally by clamping bolts 20 which extend through the side plate laminations 18, 19 and through the projected upper ends of the rails 4, 5, at spaced points substantially as shown.

It will be noted that the upper end of the lower rail 13 of the chord 9 and the inner ends of the side plate laminations l18 thereof define coplanar seats 21, 22 respectively which are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the chord 10. The under surface of the lower rail 16 of chord 110 rests upon seat 21 and the extreme upper end terminates in ush abutment with the under surface of the upper rail 12 of chord 9, as indicated at 23. On the other hand the lower edge 24 of the side plate laminations 19 of the chord 10 rest upon the seats 22. The extreme upper end of the rail 15 associated with the chord 10 is in snug engagement and lies llush with the extreme upper end of the rail 12 of the chord 9 as indicated at 25. Clamping bolts 26 extend through the spaced upper ends of the side plate laminations 19 associated with the chord 10, through the upper ends of the upper and lower rails 15, 16 of said chord 10 and through the extended upper end portion of the rail 12 associated with the chord 9.

Again it should be noted that nails and/or screws and suitable adhesive are utilized =to maintain the arch so erected as immediately above described in an upstanding load supporting position.

My invention has been commercially tested and found to be completely satisfactory for the accomplishment of the objectives set forth; and while I have disclosed a commercial embodiment thereof, I wish it to be understood that my invention may be capable of modification without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as dene-d in the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A laminated bent comprising a pair of inclined truss-forming chords, and a pair of vertical supporting members, said truss-forming chords each including a core elem-ent and side plate laminations secured :to opposite sides of said core elements, said core elements including laterally spaced generally parallel upper and lower rails and longitudinally spaced transversely extended struts connecting said upper and lower rails, the side plate laminations of one of said chords and the upper end of the lower rail thereof defining coplanar seats which are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the other of said chords, the upper rail of said one of said chords projecting beyond the plane of said seats and abutting the under surface of the upper rail of the other of said chords, the lower rail of said other of said chords resting upon the seat defined by the adjacent end of the lower rail of said one of said chords and abutting the under surface of the projected upper rail of said one of said chords, the side plate laminations of the said other of said chords being seated upon the seats `dened by the side plate laminations of said one of said chords and terminating coplanar with the upper surface of the extended upper rail of said one of said chords, and clamping means at the upper end of said chords projecting through the side plate laminations of said other of said chords, through the upper and lower rails thereof, and through the projected upper rail of said one of said chords, and means securing the lower ends of each of said chords to the upper end of a diierent one of said supporting members.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 in which said vertical supporting members each comprise a core element and side plate laminations secured to opposite sides of said core elements, the upper end portions of said side plate laminations dening seats receiving the lower edges of the side plate laminations of `au overlying one of said chords, the core elements of each of said vertical supports projecting above the plane off the seats formed by the side plate laminations and having abutting relationship with the under surface of the upper rail of the `chord supported on said vertical support seat, said last-mentioned means comprises clamping members projecting through the side plate laminations of said chords and through the core elements of the vertical supports projecting above the plane of the seats formed by the side plate laminations.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 in which the core elements of said vertical supporting members each cornprise a pair of rails which diverge upwardly from points of engagement at their lower ends.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS '2,886,857 Brosenius May 19, 1959 2,967,332 Donlin Jan. 10, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 782,900 Great Britain 1957 OTHER REFERENCES Ser. No. 235,842, Sahlberg (A,P.C.), published Apr. 27, 1943. 

